


Book XX: Judgement

by DarkeShayde



Series: The Arcana: A Retelling [20]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Deal with a Devil, Dimension Travel, Escape, F/M, Falling In Love, Illnesses, Love Confessions, Magic, Memory Loss, Murder Mystery, Mystery, Other, Out of Body Experiences, Past Character Death, Plague, Portals, Recovered Memories, Rituals, Threats of Violence, Trapped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 12:00:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19109242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkeShayde/pseuds/DarkeShayde
Summary: The Devil has trapped Shayde and Julian away from their family and friends. When Julian takes that moment to tell Shayde he loves her, their connection allows them to break free. Now they will journey to the Devil’s own realm ... with some help.





	Book XX: Judgement

The situation couldn’t be any more dire. Julian and I are alone, separated from Portia and Mazelinka and all our friends. We’re hopelessly lost in a magical darkness, and trapped by the Devil’s enchanted chains. The Devil could kill us, if he wanted. I have no doubt that that is exactly his plan. Despite that, despite everything that is going on, Julian is smiling.

“… I love you.” He says again.

“Julian …” I can barely breathe out his name before he is speaking again.

“You, uh, you don’t have to say it back, I mean, it’s not you know, _required_ or anything-” He rambles. There is no way that I am risking either of us dying without answering him.

“I love you too.”

“-I’d understand if you … uh, if you …” Julian pauses to stare, wide-eyed at me. “You do?” He sounds absurdly surprised that I said it back.

“Of course I do, Julian.” I answer quickly. “After everything we’ve been through together, everything we’ve done, everything we’ve seen … How could I not?” With each word I say, I feel lighter, brighter, as if the love welling up within me could lift me into the air. Or … set us free.

“Shayde, I’ve wanted to tell you that I love you for the longest time now. And to hear it back from you is … it’s … more than I could ever have imagined! I love you. I always will.” Julian says, still smiling fondly at me.

“Are you _finished_ yet?” The Devil grumbles, interrupting the moment. I’d almost forgotten he was standing there. “I know you humans like to prattle … but this is a bit much. I think it’s about time I wrapped things up here.” Obeying the Devil’s unspoken command, the chains around me constrict with crushing force. My ribs groan under the pressure.

“Shayde! We can do this, together! I’m with you!” Julian calls. He sounds so fierce, so certain of our success. It makes me feel like I could do anything, even defeat an Arcana. I feel a renewed surge of affection for him, and pride at the growth I see. He’s come so far since I first met him. I want to see exactly how much further we both can go.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to try the same trick twice.” The Devil mocks. But something’s different this time. The power that leaps to my hands is far more than I expected, more than I’ve ever had … It’s coming from Julian. A current of power flows between us, bolstered by our connection. Julian’s eyes are wide with astonishment. He must be able to feel it too. The chains around me convulse … then loosen. I can breathe again. I seize the momentary advantage, and work a hand free enough to grab ahold of one of the chains.

“Get him, Shayde!” I hear Julian shout in encouragement. Challenge accepted. I pour our combined magic into the enchanted metal. It seizes violently under my hands. Then, with a sharp _crack_ , it shatters. It sets off a ripple effect along the chains binding me, and then those holding Julian. Metal splinters and crumbles to ash. We’re free. I almost can’t believe it.

“And what do you have to say to that, huh?!” Julian taunts. The Devil shrugs idly. He doesn’t look concerned at all, which bothers me somewhat.

“So you broke a few chains. So what? Do you really think you can fight me alone?” He asks. But we aren’t alone. There’s no logical way I could know that, and yet … I feel it in my heart. I take a deep breath.

“Portia! Mazelinka!” I call. The shadows swallow their names in an instant. Only silence answers me.

“Oh, please.” The Devil scoffs. “Did you really think they’d be stupid enough to stay? They ran off a long time ago.” He’s lying.

“Ha! As if they’d ever do that!” Julian laughs, not falling for it even a little. I nod firmly. He and I both know they stayed. They must be trying to reach us, even now. Maybe … maybe I can reach them. I reach out, blindly stretching my hands into the darkness. For a long, breathless moment, I feel nothing. Then a tough weathered hand catches one of my hands. A smaller, calloused hand curls around my other wrist. I grip them and pull as hard as I can.

“Got you!” Mazelinka calls in triumph.

“Shayde! Ilya! You’re alright!” Portia exclaims. “Alright, Devil, time we showed you who’s boss!” Julian puts his hand on my shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. Magic flows through me, building higher and higher, singing at a fever pitch. Then it bursts free, in a flash of light that dazzles me even as it burns the darkness away. I’ve never been so happy to see the Magician’s realm in all my life, or at least what I can remember of it. The colorful water swirls around our feet. Above our heads, the storm is beginning to clear.

“… Well now. You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” The Devil muses before he flicks his fingers. The storm returns full-force, rain and thunder roaring around us. The sky splits with flashes of red lightning, silhouetting the Devil as he looms ahead of us. He is trying to intimidate us with a big show and I’ve had enough of it.

“But don’t get complacent, now.” He smirks at us. “I’ve broken kings and warlords. I’ve shaped the course of your history, bent your entire world to my will. And I reduced five of my fellow Arcana to whispers in the dark. What can four humans possibly do to me?”

“Then how about seven of us?” Asra’s voice suddenly calls out as he steps through the doorway on the beach in a swirl of prismatic fabric.

“I always did enjoy a good dramatic entrance.” Nazali declares echoing my own thoughts as they step through behind Asra. For all that he teases Julian about his overly dramatics exits, Asra is the exact same when it comes to an entrance. First impressions, after all.

“Asra! Nazali! You made it!” Julian calls, but then he does a quick head count. “But, er, wait. There’s only six of us.”

“There _were_ only six of us.” Asra replies with a knowing smirk. Behind Asra and Nazali, another person steps out onto the sand. Well … that is a surprise.

“M-milady?!” Portia gasps.

“Portia. I’m glad to see you’re unharmed.” Nadia says, gracious as always.

“Well, well. Countess Satrinava.” The Devil greets the new arrival. “I wouldn’t have thought you’d throw your lot in with these … amateurs. Wouldn’t you prefer to be on the winning side?” His attempts at being charming are as attractive as Lucio’s. I can see why the Devil is Lucio’s patron Arcana. Like the Hanged Man is for Julian and the Magician for Asra.

“Don’t insult me.” Nadia snarls. The Devil is momentarily taken aback by her dismissal, but he quickly recovers. More chains slink around the Devil’s feet, coiling like serpents, ready to strike. He had better not even think about it …

“Just try it.” I hear myself growl. The chains lash out at us. I react in an instant, my magic flaring brightly between us. Even without touching the others, I can feel them behind me, pillars of light and power that answer my call. The connections between us are so powerful. The chains shudder as my magic seizes them. But instead of breaking like they did before, they twist in mid-air, and shoot back towards the Devil. He makes a quick motion with one black-clawed hand, and the chains drop harmlessly into the surf. He looks … surprised? I wasn’t expecting that any more than he was. I stare at my hands, bemused. Is it because there were seven of us? Behind me, Julian steps up resting his hand on my shoulder. Mazelinka and Portia take up position on my other side. Nadia, Asra, and Nazali fan out. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder, facing down the Devil.

“Shayde, you’re … You’re _glowing_.” Julian observes in wonder. There’s so much magic flowing through me that it eddies and swirls just under my skin. With every second that passes, it glows brighter and brighter, a manifestation of all our powers combined. It is a beautiful reminder of those closest to me and Julian.

“A light show. Is that your idea of intimidation?” The goat-headed figure across from us asks skeptically. I can feel the Devil’s power gathering, too. An oppressive heat, and crushing pressure. The standoff is abruptly broken by an unexpected wave of magic. It’s so powerful that I stumble as it passes over me. I can’t take my eyes off the Devil to look, but I’m sure it came from behind me, from the marble door on the sand. It must’ve been just an echo of whatever’s happening in the Palace. What’s going on? The Devil’s smile is slow, and viciously satisfied.

“It seems like I won’t have time to crush you after all. Everything is ready. And ahead of schedule, at that.” The Devil says in that cryptic way that is so classic of the Major Arcana.

“What? What’s ready?” Julian demands.

“Why, my ritual to merge the realms, of course. I need only put the finishing touches on it.” Is the reply. We can’t be too late …

“That can’t be.” Asra argues. “You need us to finish the ritual.” Wait … he does?

“Your presence here inconveniences me, true … but you haven’t stopped me.” The Devil assures us. “Though, you’re becoming more trouble than you’re worth. So, I’ll only say this once. Stop wasting my time. Turn around, go through that door, and do as you’re told. Otherwise … well. Who knows what might happen? The decision is yours.” As the Devil fades from view, the storm that had been raging all the while, finally subsides. Julian looks around at the water, up at the sky, and finally at me.

“Is he gone?” He asks. I pause to check. I can’t feel that stifling aura anywhere nearby. I nod slowly, still reeling from the rush of magic.

“He’s gone.” I finally say.

“Blah! That coward!” Mazelinka scoffs. “Don’t let his bluffing fool you, Shayde. He’s just trying to get under your skin.”

“Mazelinka’s right. Take it from me, we sent him running with his tail between his legs!” Julian agrees with a smile. Their confidence lifts my spirits. I can’t help but smile. Julian whirls to face our friends with a brilliant grin, fixing his shirt as he talks.

“And it’s all thanks to our friends. Excellent timing, Asra!” He says.

“It worked out pretty well, didn’t it?” Asra agrees.

“Ilya, I see you’re still attracting trouble.” Nazali teases with a cocked eyebrow and a knowing smile.

“Aren’t I always?” Julian replies, grinning right back. I resist the urge to shout ‘Yes! Yes, you always are!’, but only just. I really don’t have room to talk, anyway.

“Just like I’m always bailing you out.” Nazali says, shaking their head. Julian then turns to Nadia.

“And Countess! I, er, I admit, I didn’t expect you to come.”

“I was with Nazali when Asra came looking for them. And after he told me what was at stake … I couldn’t just turn my back on all of you.” She explains. Well, it is her kingdom.

“What about the Masquerade, milady? If both of us are here, then …” Portia trails off uncertainly. Nadia seems to understand what Portia is trying to say.

“My sisters will be keeping an eye on the party. I thought I could be of most help here.” Nadia answers her handmaiden. I look around at everyone, my spirits buoyed by their smiles and warmth. Feeling the love and care through the connections to to each of them is a wondrous thing.

“Now that we’re all here … What was that ritual he was talking about? Asra?” I ask. He seemed to know what the Devil was talking about earlier. Perhaps he can explain it to the rest of us and we can form a plan.

“It’s the same ritual he tried to pull off three years ago.” Asra readily supplies. “He needs twenty-two guests, each representing one of the twenty-two Arcana. Including all of us, except Mazelinka.”

“When did you figure all of that out?” Julian asks. Asra gives him an amused look.

“What, did you think I spent all this time sitting around and eating tiny sandwiches? I did some poking around in the Palace, found a secret dining room, consulted the cards …” Asra ticks items off on his fingers as he speaks.

“Wait, but what about the others guests?” Portia interrupts. “Won’t they be in danger?”

“Yes. But … we cannot risk returning now. I doubt he expects us to simply obey his orders.” Nadia adds. “He must have other plans to force us to participate.”

“Blaggards like him always cheat! Which means there’s only one thing to do.” Mazelinka grunts out. I nod firmly.

“We need to take the fight to the Devil.” I declare.

“… er, wait. That’s a bad idea. Right? Tell me I’m not the only one who thinks that’s a bad idea.” Julian says, giving me a look. I give him a shrug in return.

“It’s definitely a bad idea, but we don’t have other options.” I tell him, which clearly doesn’t soothe his nerves any. “If we wait, there’s no telling what might happen. We have to stop him, before he can do any more damage.”

“I agree with Shayde. Even an incomplete ritual could be dangerous. This might be our best chance to stop him, for good.” Asra says. I’ve seen that look of determination before. Asra isn’t messing around. The Devil isn’t going to know what hit him.

“And how, exactly, will we do that?” Nadia asks. “Your magic is powerful indeed, Shayde … but what will you do with it?” That is an excellent question … and I may just have an answer to it.

“Uhhh, well. Can he die? Is he killable?” Julian wonders.

“I’m not sure, but I doubt it. The Arcana are … concepts. Ideas. And you can’t kill an idea.” Asra explains.

“There must be another way.” Nazali states as if it’s that simple.

“… I think I have an idea.” I begin, wheels in my mind turning as I replay the encounter we had mere moments ago. “When the Devil attacked us, I was able to redirect his chains.” I let that hang in the air for a moment.

“Oooh, right! Didn’t he seem kind of freaked out?” Portia recalls.

“And he turned tail and ran right after.” Mazelinka agrees.

“Are you proposing trying to bind the Devil with his own chains?” Nadia inquires having caught on to what I’m proposing.

“I think it could work.” I answer. There’s no way to tell for sure. But I’ve never seen the Devil look unnerved until that moment. Like he realized that me redirecting the chains could be a problem for him.

“It’s not a bad idea. If you can bind him into his realm, he won’t be a threat any more.” Asra concludes, but his worried expression counters his encouraging words.

“Turning his own powers against him? It would be a fitting end.” Nadia muses, with a smirk.

“I’m guessing the Devil’s gone back to his realm. It’s where he’s the strongest. But, truthfully, I’ve never tried to go there. I don’t know the way.” Asra says. Well … no one said this was going to be easy, and it certainly hasn’t been so far.

“Arf!” I know that bark. Sounds like things just got a little less hard. Scout comes bounding over a dune and skids to a halts in front of us, tail wagging.

“Ah, Scout!” Julian announces with a laugh. “Our erstwhile guide! Good to see you again. You wouldn’t happen to know where to find the Devil, would you?” Scout bobs her head in affirmative, and trots off, glancing expectantly back at us. She is waiting for us to follow.

“Is this Scout a friend of yours?” Nadia asks.

“It’s a long story, but she’s led us safely through the realms before. We can trust her.” I reply, turning to our friends. “Even when she takes us through danger, it’s always for a good reason. We can trust her.”

“This might be the weirdest guide I’ve ever followed. Top five at least.” Nazali comments. “I’m in.” Nazali probably has some great stories to share judging by the comments they make. Someday in the future, I have every intention of hearing a few.

“If you trust her, then I trust you, Shayde. Let’s go.” Asra says. Scout leads us down the beach, towards a group of indistinct blobs. As we get closer, I realize what they are. The star-speckled seals we met in the Star’s realm sprawl out on the sand, relaxing.

“Oh! Are those … baby seals?” Portia gasps out. Her reaction is as excited as Julian’s had been. “Maybe this won’t be so bad.” Scout shakes her head, and points further up the beach … To a dark, overgrown forest. I can feel it’s gloomy, forbidding atmosphere even from here. I swear the spaces between the realms are never the same twice.

“Spoke too soon.” Portia grumbles.

“Huh … Looks like I’ll need something a little more practical for this.” Asra muses as his clothes ripple, his Masquerade gown becoming his everyday clothes. He runs his fingers through his hair. “Much better.”

“Ah, what an excellent idea.” Nadia agrees. With a snap of her finger, Nadia transforms her feathered dress into an elegant jacket and breeches. Practical and still impeccably dressed as per usual for the Countess.

“Wait, what? How? How are you two doing that?” Julian asks in surprise.

“The rules of our realm don’t always apply here. If you can imagine it, it can become real.” Nadia supplies. It really is that simple, but some people never master it.

“That must be a real hit at parties, huh? I’ll have to give it a try.” Julian quips. Scout barks, pointing insistently into the woods. “Er, later! I’ll give it a try later.” He adds, blushing up to his ears. Satisfied, Scout trots into the woods. I steel my nerves, and follow. The trees are twisted, their crowns dense with foliage, and their gnarled roots are treacherous underfoot. Long, trailing streamers of vegetation drift from the branches, forming tangled curtains of greenery. This place is alive and not in a friendly way. A vine catches on my shoulder. I go to brush it off, but it’s … strangely, unpleasantly sticky. When I pull, the creeper begins to curl around my hand. No matter how hard I yank, I can’t get free.

“Arf!” Scout scampers over, whacking the vine with her walking stick. As she does, something high in the canopy moves. The vines around me aren’t vines at all, but limbs. They ripple as some kind of … creature … sways on a branch. The strangely boneless tendrils are covered in fine hairs, each beaded with sticky sap. And they’re all reaching for me. By the stars, can’t we catch a break?

“Rrrrrrrrr!” Scout growls. She has pried most of the tendrils off me. I pull hard, and the last of it finally peels away from my shoulder. All around us, the trees come alive with rippling tendrils, as dozens of the creatures begin to stir. Scout yips sharply. Motioning for us to follow, she begins to walk very, very slowly. The opposite of what I was expecting. Despite every fiber of my body screaming at me to run as fast as I can, I force myself to match her pace. Around us, the tendrils undulate slowly, waving this way and that in search of prey. But the creatures don’t seem to be able to see us, as long as we avoid touching them. Slowly, their numbers thin, until they’re gone entirely. Even so, Scout seems understandably tense, sniffing the air and growling quietly. An uneasy feeling prickles at the back of my neck. I glance over my shoulder, and see … nothing.

“You feel it too, don’t you?” Nadia asks. I’m simultaneously relieved and alarmed that the others seem to share my unease. Relieved that I’m not paranoid and alarmed because … what exactly is it that I’m sensing?

“Yeah. This is too easy.” Nazali agrees.

“A bunch of weird plant-things are ‘too easy’?” Portia asks with wide eyes.

“For a place like this?” Julian asks in his usual sass. “Absolutely. It must be a trap.” Just as he says it, a deep rumble passes through the forest.

“You just had to jinx us, didn’t you!” Portia quips. Ahead of us, something burst up through the ground, flinging clumps of soil into the air. It looks almost like a lobster, if a lobster could be perfectly transparent and the size of a small pony. Four ruby-red eyes roll this way and that in its skull, and fix abruptly on us. It raises pincers the size of dinner plates. The ground heaves as more of the creatures emerge, chittering to each other. Scout howls, and runs further into the woods. That would be our cue to leave!

“Stick together! Shayde, hang on!” Julian calls as he grabs my hand, and bolts in the direction Scout pointed us in. What little light there was fades entirely. We stumble though the dark together, bumping into trees as we go. I try to call a sphere of light, but it fizzes, and goes out with a _pop_. There’s a brief flash from my right, but it too fades. Asra must have tried the same thing I did.

“Light spells aren’t working!” Asra’s voice calls from the darkness.

“Wait, look! Up ahead!” I hear Julian say. It takes me a moment to see it. The faintest glimmer of red light. Behind us, the storm of clicking and chattering slowly fades, just as the source of the light becomes clear. I’d recognize that lamp-post anywhere. Its dim red glow illuminates a hazy circle. It is the only thing on this small island. Nazali is the first to reach it. They turn, cupping their hands over their mouth, and call back towards us.

“I think we’re clear. Everyone, gather up, let’s do a quick headcount.” Julian and I step into the light, with Portia and Nadia right behind us. Asra is next, then Mazelinka. The only one missing is …

“Scout?” I call.

“Scout, where are you?” Julian asks, voice twinged with concern … Nothing.

“Shayde, you said Scout’s always led you true through the realms, right?” Asra asks. I nod, still straining to se through the darkness. To see just a glimpse of the sweet dog-headed guide and know that she is okay.

“Then we must wait, and trust that she will catch up to us.” Nadia concludes.

“Gotta say, I’ve never been chased by a bunch of giant weird bugs before!” Portia announces. “It was kinda fun!” Ah, Portia. Always so positive even when things looks especially bleak and hopeless.

“I think I’ve seen those beasties before. But they were a _lot_ smaller.” Mazelinka says.

“… Hey, wait a second. Why are we here?” Julian asks, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. I’m not following and apparently neither is his sister.

“In general?” Portia questions.

“No, I mean, why are we here at this lantern? This is from the Hanged Man’s realm.” Julian replies. That is a good question. With a hideous scream, the island rears up beneath our feet, sending us tumbling away. It’s not an island at all, it’s the top of a giant head. A vast, toothy maw yawns wide. I react without thinking. Fire leaps to my fingers, and I hurl it straight down the monster’s throat. It howls and thrashes, pitching from side to side. Nazali yanks me out of the way as teeth snap alarmingly close to my head. The glowing bulb attached to its head bobs, illuminating bits and pieces of its misshapen, piscine body.

“Arowrowr!” A door opens in the distance. Scout’s barking is coming from just beyond. I knew she’d come through for us.

“Run for it!” Julian yells. We make a mad dash for Scout and safety, and tumble through the door. I catch a glimpse of two beady dark eyes, before the portal snaps shut with a _bang_. When I regain my senses, I find myself in a field. Overhead, the stars twinkle gently. It’s quiet. Safe. Not a monster in sight. Scout plops down with an exhausted huff, and, slowly, the rest of us follow suit. After all this running around, it feels good to rest for a bit.

“Ilya? You alright?” Portia asks. Julian is looking at all of us, our motley little group sitting in a loose circle in the wheat. He seems … pensive.

“It’s just … well. Running through the forest, I realized something. All the people who matter most to me are right here. Any or all of us could be hurt. Maybe worse.” He says. Oh no. I’ve heard this kind of talk from him before, though not for a while. Portia looks like she’s gearing up for a lecture, but Julian isn’t finished yet.

“But even knowing the danger, you all came anyways. That’s, you know, pretty amazing. No matter what might happen, we’ll make it through. Together. I’m glad Shayde and I aren’t in this mess alone, and I … er, I …” He pauses for a beat. “Why are you all staring at me?”

“You’ve changed, Ilya.” Mazelinka says.

“I, uh, I have?” Julian questions.

“Definitely. I see I was right about you and Shayde.” She adds with a nod.

“What do you mean?” I can’t help but ask.

“I thought you two would be good for each other. And whaddaya know? I was right.” Mazelinka says, grinning like the cat that got the cream.

“Seconded!” Portia chimes in with a playful. “You make each other happy. Even though Ilya’s a handful, and I doubt that’s ever going to change. Trust me, he’s done some _really_ dumb things before.”

“Hey! I’m not that bad!” Julian argues.

“Oh yeah? What about the letter you sent me, huh? ‘Dear sister, don’t try to save me, I’m sorry that I’m sorry’?” She shoots back.

“That was, uh. That was a special case …?” Julian half-heartedly says.

“Really? I seem to remember you saying something like that all the time.” Asra adds.

“You even apologized to me for smuggling you out of Vesuvia!” Mazelinka says. “But you know what? You haven’t done that in a while.”

“I …” Julian pauses while he thinks it over. A slow smile blooms on his face, replacing the stunned expression. “I haven’t, have I?”

“What you said just now, about being glad we were all here with you? You would never have said that before you met Shayde.” Mazelinka observes.

“Yeah, you wouldn’t run off on your own and told us all not to come after you.” Portia agrees. “But … well, here we are. All of us. And you’re not pushing us away.”

“Aye. You trust us, just like we trust you.” Mazelinka says. Julian’s blushing to the tips of his ears, but he’s grinning all the same. They’re right. Julian isn’t the same man I found tossing a mask over the edge of the aqueduct. He has grown so much in such a short time. However, my musings are cut off when Asra speaks.

“It’s not just you, Ilya.” Asra says. “Shayde. You’ve changed as well.”

“I suppose it was inevitable.” I reply with a laugh. “I’ve argued in a trial, had my body stolen by a dead Count, escaped an infinite tower … It would be stranger if I stayed the same after all that.”

“True, humans are good at changing. That’s more than the Arcana can say, at least. And you’ve changed for the better. You’ve chosen a path, and you’re determined to see it through.” Asra says.

“He’s right, Shayde.” Julian agrees with a fond smile. “If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be six drinks deep at the Rowdy Raven. I’ve never been that good at looking after myself. I, uh, didn’t always think I was worth it. But you saw the worth in me. Even when I didn’t believe you.” I smile fondly at him, and take his hand.

“Now, if only I could get you to sleep for a full eight hours …” I say teasingly, though I really don’t have much in the way of regular sleep habits either.

“Shayde, if you manage that, you’ll have worked more miracles than I ever have.” Nazali laughs. “He’s always been bad about that, even when he apprenticed with me. Do you remember when we met, Ilya?”

“Oh, I remember. I found you just outside Tirivata, didn’t I?” He says.

“And launched yourself right into the middle of my triage station. Do you remember that?” That gives Julian slight pause.

“I, uh. I … was inexperienced? I didn’t know what I was doing?” He says.

“Let’s just say that Ilya got himself into more then one mess, back in the day. And now … well, he might still get into those messes.” Nazali says to me.

“Oh, I’m sure he will. After all, Shayde gets into just as much trouble.” Nadia puts in, giving me a teasing smile. Yeah …

“Course she does. Only thing that can keep up with a troublemaker in another troublemaker.” Mazelinka offers.

“Trouble squared!” Portia laughs. Mazelinka chortles, patting my shoulder companionably.

“Yes. Though I do hope you listen to her more often, Doctor. I’ll be quite satisfied if I never have to see you on the defendant’s stand again.” Nadia pauses, rubbing her temples. “I … have something to confess. Three years ago, I fell into an enchanted slumber. When I woke up, I couldn’t remember anything after I arrived in Vesuvia. The ritual was last attempted just before I fell asleep. I doubt this was a coincidence.”

“… No, it wasn’t.” Asra says quietly.

“Despite that, I am beginning to remember some things.” Nadia goes on. “For instance, I seem to recall … that we three were once good friends.” She looks from Julian to Asra. That backs up what Asra told me before about her.

“I … remember something like that, too, but I couldn’t be sure it was all real. Did we really celebrate Nadia’s birthday by swimming in the Palace fountain?” Julian asks, blushing. Wait … what? I need to hear this story.

“You know, I’d almost forgotten about that! Yes, we did.” Asra laughs.

“I don’t remember that, I’m afraid …” Nadia trails off. “But there’s nothing to say we can’t simply do it again. Especially if Shayde would like to join us.”

“Sounds like a blast. Is this fountain open to the public?” Nazali asks.

“Only if I get to dunk Ilya first!” Portia calls out. The sound of our laughter echos through the fields. Across the circle, Scout is smiling, too, her tail thumping steadily.

“Ruff!” Scout starts to get up, then collapses back down to a seated position again, huffing tiredly. She must be too exhausted to continue. Instead, she points at the top of the hill, and barks once. That is our path then … and our guide won’t be joining us to the end of our trip.

“Aruff!” She barks.

“Thank you, Scout.” I say. With a nod, Scout lies back to rest. The rest of continue on without her. We trudge through the field and up the hill. At the top, I look down into a valley, and my breath catches. Around us, the wheat is alive, lush with life. But down the hill, a wide circle is scorched absolutely barren. Nothing lives in it. Not even a weed. At the center of the circle is a towering gate. Cruel iron chains crisscross its surface, binding it shut. Every inch of the gate declares the Devil’s handiwork. And, standing between us and the gate … Lucio.

“I should’ve known _you’d_ get in our way.” Asra says, the venom in his words is plain to all of us.

“Awww, don’t be like that, Asra! Aren’t you happy to see me?” Lucio coos at him. That has to be a rhetorical question. Unless Lucio is really thick-headed enough that he thinks people actually love him as much as he loves himself.

“What are you doing here?” Nadia demands, her lips curled in a sneer at her not-quite-dead-anymore, ex-husband.

“What are YOU doing here? We could be partying right now, but you all decided to ruin my fun! So hey, don’t take this personally … But you won’t be going any further.” Lucio lunges at me, closing the distance between us in an instant. I scramble backwards, just in time to avoid the swipe of his golden claws. I feel like I should have seen that coming sooner.

“Get back here!” Lucio growls at me.

“Oh no you don’t!” Mazelinka says. I never thought a wooden spoon could parry a clawed gauntlet, but Mazelinka wields it fearlessly. I don’t believe Mazelinka actually knows how to feel fear. It doesn’t seem to affect her at all.

“Mazelinka, don’t hurt him! That’s Shayde’s body!” Asra calls. He then turns to the rest of us, speaking quickly and keeping his voice low. “We’ll need to trap him. Shayde, you remember how to cast a net spell, right?”

“I do, but can’t Lucio just tear his way out of it?” I question.

“Not if we work together. We can make it strong enough to hold him. We just need a minute to prepare.” Asra says.

“A minute, two minutes, whatever you need. We’ve got you covered.” Julian tells us. Mazelinka staggers back with a grunt, looking intensely annoyed. Like Lucio is an annoying child that she has to deal with and not a warmongering, ex-Count.

“What’s the matter, grandma? Can’t keep up?” Lucio taunts.

“Ilya, we’re up!” Nazali calls.

“En garde!” Julian puts up his fists up like a boxer, feinting and throwing out jabs. I keep an eye on the fight, even as Asra and I weave the net, spinning our magic into gossamer threads. I can’t help it.

“Leave the fighting to the real warriors, Jules!” Lucio says. My warning shout dies in my throat, as Nazali lunges in. They grab Lucio’s wrist, put a hand on his elbow, and in one graceful move, throw him to the ground. But the ex-Count leaps to his feet, his golden arm lashing out and striking Julian across the face. With an effort, I master my fear. The best thing I can do right now is help Asra with the spell. I have to stay put … and trust in our friends. Lucio advances on me and Asra, his grin a bloodthirsty slash.

“Now what are you two up to?” He asks. Nadia steps between us, drawing an elegant sword from thin air. She levels it at Lucio with a glare. It seems we are about to bear witness to a royal marital dispute.

“Not you too, Noddy!” Lucio gasps out in false betrayal.

“Portia, with me!” Nadia commands, ignoring Lucio’s whine.

“Got your back, milady!” Portia pips up. Each swing of Lucio’s claws is countered by a slash of Nadia’s sword. With a yell, Portia rushes him from the side.

“Almost done …” Asra says, more to himself than me. I force myself to focus on the net. If I falter now, the entire spell will unravel. That can’t be allowed to happen. Together, Asra and I infuse the net with magic. It begins to glow, as if we’ve trapped sunlight in its weave. Portia yelps in surprise and pain, but I swallow my fear and keep my attention on the net.

“Done! Now we just need an opening …” Asra says. I look back up, just in time to see Mazelinka catch Lucio across the ear with her spoon.

“That’s for Nevivon!” Mazelinka shouts. He whirls on Mazelinka, snarling, and the tip of Nadia’s sword catches him across the cheek.

“This is for Vesuvia!” She tells him. Portia rams her shoulder into Lucio’s stomach, sending him sprawling.

“This is for my brother!” Portia says.

“Now!” Asra calls as he and I hurl the magical net over Lucio. With an outraged screech, he claws at the strands. His alchemical arm hisses and stems, but the magically-reinforced net holds firm. He can’t get free.

“And _that_ was for my parents.” Asra says with narrowed eyes.

“Hey! You can’t do that! That’s cheating!” Lucio argues. I offer Julian a hand up, and he takes it, grinning as I help him to his feet. Nadia strides purposefully towards Lucio, sword still firmly in hand.

“Now. Whatever shall we do with you?” She asks. From his awkward position, the net tangled around his limbs, Lucio cranes his neck so he can see us.

“Wait, wait, wait! Alright, listen, maybe we can work something out, right? You let me go, and, uh …” Lucio trails off.

“And?” Nadia asks.

“I’ll help you kill the Devil. That’s what you’re trying to do, right?” Lucio offers … I have my doubts. Even if he was trustworthy, which he very much isn’t, he’s not close enough to any of us to lend me his strength.

“No.” I say firmly.

“What?! What do you mean, no? Trust me, you _need_ my help!” Lucio argues. No one is buying his act.

“You’d say anything to save your own skin.” Nazali observes.

“And I trust you about as far as I can throw you!” Portia snaps. “Which … is pretty far, apparently, but still.” I hold in a giggle at that.

“Why won’t any of you listen to me?! What did I ever do to any of you?” Lucio demands. Does he really think he is blameless?

“You’ve done enough already.” Asra says. He is still watching Lucio through narrowed eyes, like he is expecting him to do something.

“I mean … well … you! I haven’t done anything to you!” Lucio points awkwardly to Nazali.

“Not to me, personally. But you’ve left a sea of bodies in your wake.” They answer.

“But I’ve never, uh … I’ve never done wrong by you, Jules!” Lucio tries next. I glance at Julian. His face is expressionless, oddly enough. I can’t tell what he is thinking.

“Yeah? You think so?” Julian asks. I can practically see the sarcasm dripping off of his words. “How about the time you gave me the plague?” As he speaks, Julian’s features curl up in a snarl.

“What?!” I ask in shock. There are similar gasps and exclamations of shock all around. I’ve never heard this before. I never knew _how_ Julian caught the plague, only that it almost killed him. I assumed that he was exposed during his work. But this …?

“He did what?!” I demand. I look down at Lucio, stunned. A slow, creeping fury twists its way up my spine. Instead of blazing hot like most of my anger tends to be, this fury is icy cold. I can feel my empathy retreating, leaving only the logical, if not cruel, part of my mind behind.

“You weren’t working fast enough! You said you were going to cure me, and you weren’t holding up your end!” Lucio says in argument. “I knew you were close, you just needed some motivation!” He really needs to shut up. Nothing he says is helping his case.

“Motivation?!” Julian demands. “You _force-fed me a plague battle!_ ”

“So what? You obviously survived!” Lucio says, as if that makes it okay.

“But I didn’t.” You could hear a pin drop after my words hit the air.

“What was that?” Lucio asks. I glare at Lucio, cold fury crackling in every word.

“I died of the plague. The same plague you brought to Vesuvia. And not just me. Hundreds of people, thousands of people … all of them are dead because of you.” I tell him.

“Wait just a minute! How was the plague my fault? Besides, I was trying to _cure_ it-” Lucio starts to say, but he is cut off.

“To save yourself. Not for Shayde or anyone else.” Julian snarls at the former Count.

“Did you ever think about the rest of the plague’s victims?” I ask him. “Did we even cross your mind?”

“Ugh, you’re just like Jules. Always complaining about the past and blaming me for all your problems! Sure, you died, but you’re alive now! And so am I! See? We all got what we wanted. I mean, really, you should be thanking me!” Lucio says. There is no getting through to him. It’s like talking to a blank wall. Boring and unproductive.

“Really.” Julian gives him a flat look.

“Yeah. So get this net off me, now!” Lucio demands. I take a step forward, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. Julian puts his hand on my shoulder. A silent show of support. One that I desperately need.

“No.” I say again. Lucio twists in the net until he’s looking up at the seven of us. We’re all looking at him with varying degrees of disgust and anger.

“Listen, I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot here …” He tries again.

“That’s an understatement.” Julian quips.

“Buuuut hey, I’m a generous guy! I’m willing to forgive and forget if you are.” Julian crosses his arms and looks down his nose at the tangled-up Count.

“Are you, now.” That wasn’t really a question. Julian is in rare form right now.

“Yeah, why not? I’m sorry that you’re so upset over this … plague thing. But Jules, it’s been three years. You should really be over it by now, not yelling at me. Still, we can let bygones be bygones. We used to be friends, didn’t we?” When Julian just stares at him narrowed eyes, Lucio decides to go on. “So? What do you say, Jules? Shayde?”

“That is the worst apology I’ve ever heard.” Julian says in disgust.

“Me too.” I say in agreement.

“Me three.” Portia adds. “And I’ve heard some real stinkers from the nobles at court!”

“What?! I said I’m sorry! What more do you want from me? What is wrong with all of you?” Lucio complains. Is he serious? What is wrong with him?!

“That’s, uh, wow. I don’t even know how to respond to that. So … let’s not.” Julian says.

“But, Julian …” I begin.

“It’s okay, Shayde. I’ve never really been one for grudges, even over this. He’s not worth it.” Julian tells me.

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?!” But Julian continues, ignoring Lucio’s indignant spluttering entirely.

“If he can’t look beyond himself … well, that’s his loss. I have you, now. We all have each other. And that’s something he’ll never understand.” He takes my hand, squeezing gently. I am proud of him being the bigger person, but I still kinda what to kill Lucio. “Now, as far as what to do with him … Lucio. You made a deal with the Devil, didn’t you?”

“Why? You interested in one too?” Lucio asks with that insufferable smile of his.

“Absolutely not.” Julian relies immediately, before turning to me. “Shayde, think you could use that power of yours to break those deals?” That is a thought.

“… What did you say?” Lucio demands.

“Not bad, Ilya. It’ll break the Devil’s connection to him.” Asra says. It looks like Lucio is starting to sweat. For the first time, he seems to realize the danger he’s in.

“I can try.” I reply.

“Hey! Stop that right now! I never agreed to this!” Lucio argues. Tuning out his howls of protest, I close my eyes, and slow my breathing. I can almost feel the weight of the deals, the echo of the Devil’s power burning like a brand. I wonder in the back of my mind how the Devil manages to talk people into making slaves of themselves. When I open my eyes, I can see translucent chains, wrapped tightly around Lucio’s body. I take a step closer, reaching out to take hold of one of the chains.

“Hands off! Don’t you dare! You’ll regret this! You worm, I’ll make you pay-!” But, though he squirms and curses blisteringly at me, the magical net holds. There aren’t as many chains as there were on Valdemar, but they’re wound just as tight. It seems the Devil likes to be sure he doesn’t lose what he stole. I don’t think I can remove them by myself.

“Everyone, I need your help.” I say. They step up behind me, laying their hands on my shoulders and back.

“You got this, Shayde!” Portia says. Warmth and power flow into me, mingling with my own magic. I breathe slowly, guiding the power down my arms and into my hands, and grab hold of the chains. The metal shudders under my hands … then begins to darken. It spreads out from where I’m holding on, until the chains are all as black as coal. With a ringing peal, the chains snap. The magical backlash hits me first, knocking me back. Asra’s net shatters in a flash of light.

“Shayde!” Mazelinka calls as she and Julian catch me as I fall, and we tumble to the ground in a heap. A silvery mist rushes over my vision. And when it fades …

“Oof!” Julian almost drops me, but saves it at the last moment. “Is it, uh, just me, or did you get a lot heavier all of a sudden?” What a question to ask a girl. Nazali offers me a hand, and I reach out to take it. Their warm, callused grip startles me. What just happened?

“Up you go.” They says as they pull me to my feet, and I stumble. My limbs feel leaden, as though my exhaustion has caught up all at once.

“Shayde … You have your body back!” Asra says in wonder. I do? I look down ay myself. I look, and feel … _more_ , somehow.

“You do! Finally!” Julian sweeps me up, and dips me for a kiss. Elation sweeps over me. Suddenly giddy, I wrap my arms around his neck, laughing into the kiss. Our friends cheer and clap, and Portia whistles teasingly, but I don’t mind. I’d better start getting used to it, after all. Besides, after all this time, I finally have my body back. Isn’t that worth a little celebration?

“… urgh …” From his crumpled position on the ground, Lucio struggles to sit up. He freezes, staring at me. He frantically feels his own face, then reaches up to cheek his receding hairline. I notice his eyes have lost their red color. They look normal now. Well … as normal as silver eyes can look.

“What … what did you do to me?!” He growls. I have to lean on Julian to stay upright, but I’m probably in better shape than Lucio is right now.

“I undid your deal with the Devil.” I tell him. “Which gave me back my body … and gave you back yours, it seems.”

“Oh, it’s his alright. His original body, from before the fire.” Asra says with an incredibly smug smile. “The one he went to all that effort to replace. All that scheming … and he’s right back at square one.” Lucio gasps at us in horror. Seems I got my revenge on him after all and I wasn’t even trying.

“You … you little thief! Give it back!” Lucio snarls. He staggers upright and lurches towards me, but the Countess steps in front of me.

“I’ve had enough of you, Lucio.” She declares with gravity. “As Countless of Vesuvia, I hereby banish you from Vesuvia, and all Vesuvian territories. I never want to hear or see you again. Am I clear?”

“Excuse me?! You can’t do that! I’m the Count!!” Lucio’s spluttered protests fade into silence as Nadia raises her sword. He looks back and forth between us … Then turns tail and flees, over the hill and out of sight. Nadia closes her eyes, and tilts her head back.

“… Finally. We are free of him, for good.” She says, the relief clear in her voice.

“Well, his lackey’s out of the way. That just leaves … the Devil himself.” Julian says with that ridiculously adorable grin of his. The gate looms silently ahead of us. Waves of hostility emanate from it, almost tangible in the still air. I reach a hand out towards the chains, but before I touch them, they recoil from me. They slither away, until the gate is clear. The iron bars are hot to the touch. I push, and with a ponderous groan, it swings open. I expected that to be harder.

“Before we go in … Shayde, you need to be careful. If anything happens to you …” Asra starts to say.

“Nothing’s happening to her. Not on my watch!” Mazelinka states.

“Yeah! I’ve got your back, Shayde!” Portia announces.

“We all do.” Nadia agrees.

“That big ugly goat won’t know what hit him.” Nazali says.

“Well, what do you say, Shayde?” Julian asks, grinning widely. “Ready to go save the world?” I look through the gate, to the perilous realm beyond.

“Let’s do this.”


End file.
